The last of the affluent, the carefree and the innocent

[GliderGuider]

The last of the affluent, the carefree and the innocent

Obama expands his job stimulus plan, moving the goalposts from 2 to 3 million jobs to be created over a 2 year period. There are a few things that don't add up in this. First, these are largely jobs that cost the US economy money, instead of making it richer. And that economy is already so broke that any more additional costs will weigh heavily on it. Second, the expectations for the numbers of jobs lost in the economy are rising towards a cruel, eye-popping and devastating 1 million per month for 2009, and likely beyond. Creating 3 million jobs while a potential 24 million will be lost, it's not a very reassuring statistic.

Besides, it puts the US in a category of economies that has members in the likes of Bulgaria before the Berlin wall came down. State run, inefficient, and most of all doomed to fail. The trillions of dollars spent so far to "rescue" the utterly bankrupt US banking industry have not created a single job. The billions thrown carelessly and with eyes closed at the automotive industries of America and Canada will not save one single job either. They'll just move the problem ahead for a few months, leaving Obama, as the proverbial patsy, to face an insurmountable issue that may well prove too much for him, perhaps as early as next year.

Still, all that could be forgiven if the current and incoming administrations would tackle the one problem that nobody dares stand up to: Toxic Assets. All of the money spent so far, all the trillions, every penny of it, will be a complete waste if these assets are not forced out of their closets. Everybody talks about the need to restore markets by restoring trust and confidence. Well, Mr. Obama, here is your key to reviving that trust. Find your own Elliott Ness, this one specialized in derivatives, get him the people he wants and needs, and start raiding the banks' vaults, and the hedge funds, and the pension funds. Force it all out into the open. Refuse to give them even one more nickel, until all of it is on the table. All of it, not just some of it. If that doesn't happen, the US economy will not recover, because there will be no trust and no confidence.

Would be nice, right? Well, don't count on it. The man behind the curtain of Obama’s financial team is Robert Rubin, and his proxies are the likes of Tim Geithner and Larry Summers. These guys have one goal in mind only: to let the firms, and the very culture, that enriched them and provided them their lifestyle and friends, their yachts and mansions, and the power they so enjoy, endure. Even though they are smart enough to understand that that culture is gone, broke, bankrupt and dead, this is still the sole thing they will work towards. And they will do so at the expense of hard-working or no-longer working ordinary people.

~~~

An era is over. We have been the last of the affluent, the carefree and the innocent. Not that we're really all that innocent, mind you, it was all just pretense all the way, many millions of people have died for our affluence. We just never told ourselves their life stories. They will be our stories soon.

Are you now ready to fight in the streets, to protect your family, to share your meal with the hungry? It’s not about being a leftie, or a softie, and I certainly am neither. It’s about survival. It’s about being smart enough to read the world you live in. The model of the nuclear family will die with the affluence. It’s never been but an aberration. You will, like your ancestors before you, need your family, your friends, and your neighbors.

Life itself is about to come calling.

To paraphrase Tiny Tim. "God help us, every one!"

[bvar22]

1. The writing is on the wall for those who choose to read it.

"The man behind the curtain of Obama’s financial team is Robert Rubin, and his proxies are the likes of Tim Geithner and Larry Summers. These guys have one goal in mind only: to let the firms, and the very culture, that enriched them and provided them their lifestyle and friends, their yachts and mansions, and the power they so enjoy, endure. Even though they are smart enough to understand that that culture is gone, broke, bankrupt and dead, this is still the sole thing they will work towards. And they will do so at the expense of hard-working or no-longer working ordinary people."

I had hope for the Obama administration until I saw his Economic Team.
These are the very same people who helped create the problem.

If you haven't already moved to The Country, it is probably too late.



Now we got Your Children's Money too !!!
And there is not a fucking thing you can do about it!
Now THAT is "Post-Partisanship"!
Get Used To It!!!

[truedelphi]

3. My sentiments exactly. And well spoken, bvar. n/t

[truedelphi]

2. The OP asks that Obama find his "own Elliott Ness," Easy enough to do

Considering the splendid works that Kucinich, Issa, Maxine Waters and others have done in their due diligence against Kashkari and Paulson.

So who does he name to his economic team? Rubin, and Geithner, and Larry Summers may play a part.
Aargh!!

Will someone please let Mr Spitzer back out of the closet.
Eliot, we understand you ahve a problem that manifests in need to control women - but you understood the state of corruption better than anyone. All is forgiven - if Somebody would PLEASE advise Obama to simply take you off the bench and put you back in the game.

[HughBeaumont]

4. If our business leaders are dumb enough to lay off 24 million workers . . .

. . . and turn this economy into something that would make the Great Depression look tame, then they'll have no right to complain when at least 100 of them get their homes broken into, dragged through the streets and shot. Because if any of these idiots think that the Friedmanite model can and will continue and not expect a few million jobless people with nothing more to lose to sit down and take it like champs, then they must be dumber than I give them credit for.

[CoffeeCat]

5. We are preparing to help...big time...

We are not rich people, but "couponing" is my hobby. You know the stories in the
media about the women who use coupons and pay $17 for $150 worth of groceries? That's me.

I have been taking advantage of every deal I see and working it--like it's a full-time job.

I've got an entire room full of food that I got for free or nearly free. Last week, we gave
100 items to our local food pantry. We want to help and I get free things in order to
save money for our family, and to help others too.

Last night, my husband said, "If things turn really ugly, have you thought that your major
stockpile in our basement could turn into something bad?" I told him that I had no idea what
he was talking about and he said, "Honey, many people know that you have a 'small Quick Trip'
in our basement. They know you're 'the coupon lady' and that you've got tons of food and
supplies in the basement. What happens when everyone needs those things?"

It's just crazy to even entertain thoughts like that. I'm now wondering if I should be worried.

[DemReadingDU]

6. Since you are willing to share

it shouldn't be a problem

[CoffeeCat]

8. Yes, but I certainly can't share...

...with every single person who would want something, and I doubt I could share
as much as some would like.

Who knows.

[Bigmack]

7. The scary thing

to me is that, as far as I can tell, NO ONE in positions of power, the press, OR pundit-ville is talking about what MOST needs to be addressed.

"Besides, it puts the US in a category of economies that has members in the likes of Bulgaria before the Berlin wall came down. State run, inefficient, and most of all doomed to fail. "

It seems to me that the CENTRAL ECONOMIC ISSUE of our time is NOT central direction - control - OR the traditional US, inadequate, "free enterprise" solution, BUT rather it is the sustainability issue. THIS is the most important economic question of our time. WHATEVER "solves" it - centralized economic control - free enterprise - some rare commodity like intelligent direction - WHATEVER - is what is MOST needed now. Ms Bigmack